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Melbourne Rebels have never beaten the Hurricanes on the eastern side of our great, salty divide. And in cool, blustery conditions – or what…
Rugby Australia has put code wars back on the agenda by flagging fresh raids ahead of the World Cup. A former dual international is all for it.
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Eroni Clarke was Buzz Lightyear in black: a barrel-chested, block-busting outside-centre who played 24 Tests for the All Blacks, 150 games for Auckland and…
Canberra, as anyone who’s watched outdoor winter sports in the capital would tell you, can get a little chilly. Indeed it can get Baltic.…
Since the dawn of Super Rugby, coaches, players, pundits and punters have wondered how to beat the perennial powerhouse that is the Crusaders. And…
Aaron Mauger doesn’t really know how he came to be standing atop the chair in the coaches’ box in the mad moments after flying…
At half-time between the Reds and the Chiefs at Suncorp Stadium, Stan Sport analyst Tim Horan made a plaintive plea on behalf of many…
The simple telling of the Super Rugby Pacific ‘Super Round’ fixture between the Hurricanes and the Reds would read something like this: one team…
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A three-try, 24-point burst in the first 15 minutes proved the critical passage of Saturday night’s Super Rugby Pacific fixture in Perth, as NSW…
In an entertaining mishmash of running rugby, end-to-end passages, errors, turnovers, penalties and quite sublime skill at speed, Queensland Reds have outlasted and outplayed…
It was a clash of cultures, playing styles and big bodies at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night when Fijian Drua played an entertaining, ‘sevens’…
It was a summation as brutally succinct as the one English cricket writer Martin Johnson offered of England’s 2006/07 Ashes touring party. “There are…
The Newcastle Knights host the Manly Sea Eagles in Thursday night NRL. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm AEST. Newcastle's…
Michael Hooper made a triumphant return in NSW Waratahs colours, scoring a try as his team ran out 38-14 victors over ill-disciplined Fijian Drua…
Once upon a time (it was 1976) there was a trippy, Italian claymation TV program for kids called ‘Il Rosso e Il Blu’ –…
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It’s pretty big. I dunno if the Tour de France or Euro Cup or Asian Games or whatever has the following numbers. Anyway how about just enjoy it. Like the soccer World Cup or Olympics were coming again, rugby union will have its time in the sun, everyone will make a quid and enjoy a month or so of footy. We don’t need to see it through a spectrum of league-v-union. Just enjoy it. Or don’t watch it. But it’s gonna big, as the numbers attest in Linden’s yarn on Code.
Over 2 million tickets sold
217,000 international visitors
Over 4 billion global cumulative television audience
14,000 full-time equivalent jobs created
10,000 volunteers
$2.8 billion economic impact
Over $500m in new trade and investment
30,000 new rugby participants
'Very appealing': Why Mick O'Connor thinks fresh rugby raid makes sense, and the NRL players union should target
Fixed that, thanks.
Forgot about old Reuben.
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Oh I wouldn’t say “brilliant”, Kiwi. But you are of course most welcome to! Ha. Goodonya mate.
Yeah McDermott still has a few barnacles. But can’t fault his effort. He’s in the game, making things happen. You’ll get a hundred per cent from him.
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Yep – not the other way, spiralling. Those old leather footies and the teaching of the time. Don’t know even if Ella did.
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Who do you like at 10 for Wallabies? Quade? Donaldson??
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Best game I’ve seen him play. And as i said, if that sort of player can come off the field fully spent it means there’s been a lot of running, ball movement and width.
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Ha. Mate I love rugby league. But fact is leaguies couldn’t spin the ball left to right until Sticky turned up. Even Wally didn’t do it. Turvey Mortimer would turn around and put his back to the opposition.
You’ll be happy to know – or maybe you won’t care I dunno – that union fans bag me for writing good things about league. So make of it what you will. But I like all sports. Except swimming. And I’m not much on motor racing. But certainly the four footies and cricket – mate I’m not a soldier for Rupert in the Code Wars, put it that way.
Regardless, you may still buy my book: www.themilkbook.com
Titanic Tahs and Reds derby begets a sentimental haze
Or mattcleary.com if you can’t click on it
'I learnt a lot': The lesson Wayne Bennett needed when star halfback lost the plot
Hi Geoff.
It’s not in the shops yet. Will be soon enough. For the moment you can pick up a signed copy via https://buy.stripe.com/00g3eg45m6tK2t2fYZ
'I learnt a lot': The lesson Wayne Bennett needed when star halfback lost the plot
Let the record – and the Kindle edition! – show. No wonder Sully was miffed. Not picked twice
'I learnt a lot': The lesson Wayne Bennett needed when star halfback lost the plot
Surgeon’s hands in a great galoot’s body. Trust me, I’m a doctor. You wouldn’t argue.
The battle of brawn and brains between Tongan Thor and young bull Bell shapes as one for the ages
Ah yes – forgot to mention him… interesting to see how the big galoot goes.
The battle of brawn and brains between Tongan Thor and young bull Bell shapes as one for the ages
Goodonya Busted. Yes, looking forward to seeing Lote’s nephew bop about. Tho I’m a Canberra boy mate so if the Rebels or Reds for that matter tank it’s a case of sucks to be them, pass the beer nuts. Hope they go well, tho. It is time, as they say.
Super Rugby Radar: Expectations low again for under-achieving Melbourne Rebels
Ha. Mate, I made the same educated guess as you. Brad Thorn wasn’t telling his players let alone a gibberer on the Roar who’d be starting. My Rebels predicted starting lineup will be closer to the mark given they named it Thursday
Super Rugby Radar: Fit Vunivalu could fire Reds to title
Ha. Agreed that a lot would have to go their way…
But they can make finals, and go on a confident little streak on the back of momentum…
Italy would be 100-1 to win the 6 Nations… you offering that for Queensland??
Super Rugby Radar: Fit Vunivalu could fire Reds to title
Yeah I see Petaia as a pure 13, like Jason Little. No doubt he can play back three. I just like him outside centre. Reckon they should have started him first game World Cup.
Super Rugby Radar: Fit Vunivalu could fire Reds to title
Yeah, not in my team. I start the captain. Plus I like Scott-Young. Your predicted starting lineup – and Brad Thorn’s, too, probably – may differ. Tell you what, friendly bet: give us your starting XV and we’ll circle back to this chat when they run out.
Super Rugby Radar: Fit Vunivalu could fire Reds to title
Which ones though? Perth? Adelaide? Christchurch? Super League showed us fish where the fish are. You can’t take league to non-league lands. The strip of northern Sydney and north of Sydney, there’s a million people, league fans, without a team. Only need 5 per cent of them – and however many people who’d jump back aboard from other places – and you’ve got 50,000+ members.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
I dunno… those rallies illustrate public opinion. Political types do … I dunno, listen, a bit. The Souths one got 80,000, and got Souths back in, along with a few other things. What do you reckon – if they get 50,000 people to march up Miller St? Or 20,000… or have two rallies – one in Gosford, one in North Sydney … or march down the Pacific Highway! Ha. It’d be something. Make people listen.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
I see your point. But anecdotally, and they’ve done many studies and surveys, and found that the North Sydney Bears fans would be cool with sharing their brand / club / whatever, with the Central Coast. And the Central Coast would be cool with the Bears as “their” team and to join up with the lower and upper north shore. Both sets of supporters – and maybe it was the same for Magpies and Tigers, Dragons and Steelers, Bears and Sea Eagles fans back in the day, are pragmatic enough to know that if they want to have a footy club and for them to be the Bears, they have to share with the other mob. And it would feel less a merge as a new birth, or arrival. Something. I dunno. I just think it’d be very cool.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
They don’t have to identify with Gosford. They just have to share the North (of) Sydney Bears. There’s a million people. They don’t need many. The Dragons, Bulldogs and Sharks have a million between them. There’s three clubs. Bears are just one.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
Ha. See you at the rally, then?
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
Because of the ancient enmity between North Sydney Bears fans and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles fans, and that Bears fans will come to Central Coast and vice versa. Both regions – North Shore and Central Coast – want to be the Bears. They’ll share the Bears. Studies have shown. Surveys. Anecdotes.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
Manly.
Bring back the Bears: A million reasons why they're needed right here and not PNG
Good point. Depending when they schedule it but it’s often Sep-Oct … but The NRL could ride the coat-tails of the RWC and put games on, and get all those tourists in for a look.
'Very appealing': Why Mick O'Connor thinks fresh rugby raid makes sense, and the NRL players union should target